How do you say "a few" in Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi)?

In Tunisian Derja, "a few" is "shawaya" (featured in Chapter 38. Quantity (Kemméa), page 178 of Tounsi in Black & White). Common Arabizi spellings include: shawaya.

"shawaya" (a few) in Tunisian Arabic — Pronunciation & Arabizi

Quick Answer & Pronunciation Breakdown

In Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi / Derja), the word for “a few” is shawaya.

Arabizi / Chat Spellings: shawaya

How to Pronounce Each Sound

sh (ش) — 'sh' sound as in 'sharp' or 'fish'. Example: shÄ’ar

Found in Tounsi in Black & White (38. Quantity (Kemméa), p. 178) by Paul R. Beeman (“Am Paul”) & Khaled Arres.

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shawaya mn a little bit / a bunch of / a couple of ay waHda any one kol waHda each one kol every one

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Tounsi in Black & White uses a clear Latin phonetic system so English and French speakers can pronounce Tunisian Arabic naturally. Read the full Phonetic & Arabizi Reference →

Symbol	English Sound	French Sound	Arabic	Book Example
a	wall, car, saw	à, Paris, appeler	ا , ع	Avril
Ä	Deep elongated “a” as in awe	“à” de profondeur de la bouche	ع	sbÄ
e	elephant, end	blesser, tenir	ء	ekhel
é	cake, bait, bale	lait, saler, thé	ي / ا	éna
o	go, no, so	dos, eau, moto	و	Octobr
u	glue, new, two	tu, rue, mouton	و	bu
i	wing, sing, read	si, ni, lit	يْ	fil
w	wait, win, owe	oui, toilette	وْ	warqa
’	Glottal stop (Uh-oh)	Coup de glotte (début de “aimer”)	ء / ع	me’aza
b	bike, beat, bat	bague, beau	ب	ba’id
d	do, duck, did	dire, doux	د	dabbuza
dh	this, the, then	Pointe de la langue à l’arrière des dents	ذ	dhaw
f	fun, far	fille, fort	ف	faqqus
g	go, get	gâteau, gomme	ق	garaj
gh	Guttural “r” sound	rue, rouge	غ (ghayn)	ghadwa
h	hat, hit, hope	Un court souffle léger	ه	mehbul
H	Stronger, breathier “h”	Un court souffle fort	ح	Halib
k	kite, cat, black	cadeau, clé	ك	kabbut
kh	Like “loch” or “Bach”	Son de gargouillement doux	خ	khamsa
q	Uvular stop (deep “k”)	quatre (plus profond)	ق	Qadesh
r	Rolled “r” (Scottish “road”)	Un “r” roulé	ر	ras
s	sit, sand, miss	soupe, sac	س	saba’a lef
S	Hard, exaggerated “S”	sacrifice, sombre	ص	ÄSfour
sh	sharp, mash, fish	chou, chat	ش	shÄ’ar
t	kit, sit, type	table, tout	ت	taHt
T	Emphasized “t” as in Tap	N/A (emphatique)	ط	yfTor
th	thin, thank, thick	Souffle en déplaçant la langue des dents	ث	thmenin
v	van, vine, have	voiture, vin	ف / ڤ	valiz
y	yes, yellow	yeux, yaourt	ي	yaba’ath
z	zoo, zip, has	zèbre, zéro	ز	zbiyb

How to say “a few” in Tunisian Arabic (Tounsi): shawaya

Quick Answer & Pronunciation Breakdown

How to Pronounce Each Sound

More Words From 38. Quantity (Kemméa)

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Tounsi in Black & White — Phonetic Guide (pp. 9–12)